


The Light behind The Winds

by serenesavagery (windrunnerdreamer)



Category: Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Adolin Kholin Is The Best Bro, Adolin and Tien are a very good team, Also Adolin has gained possession of Kaladin's brain cell, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, Beware of Messed Up Soulcasting, Brotherly Affection, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Family, Inspired by Tangled (2010), It's Not Graphic Depictions, Just the One Depiction, Romance, Roshar is just a kingdom not a freaking planet here, Someone gets stabbed through the head, Tangled (2010) References, Well gotta be safe anyway, if not a murderous one, no eye color discrimination, or are they, radiants are basically handymen with mental trauma and surges, the cosmere is the planet, the ghostbloods are kinda sloppier than they are in canon, with these notes feel free to enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:56:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23523424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windrunnerdreamer/pseuds/serenesavagery
Summary: Shallan's fine. It's not like she's forced to live in a tower with her cuckoo (but scary) dad who runs off to do mysterious jobs. And it's not like the guy (who also happened to be a Radiant) who stumbled into said tower was handsome, smouldering and gentle....Absolutely not.Shallan's totally fine.
Relationships: Adolin Kholin & Tien, Kaladin & Adolin Kholin, Kaladin & Sylphrena (Stormlight Archive), Kaladin & Tien (Stormlight Archive), Shallan Davar/Kaladin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	The Light behind The Winds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [engineerwenlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/engineerwenlock/gifts).



> AHHHH I promised this to user engineerwenlock such a long time ago, I'm sorry it took so long (you probably forgot about it at the time I posted this, LMAO) But I want to thank you for the amazing feedback you kept giving to my Kadolin roleswap series, so here ya go!! I hope you enjoy it!  
> Oh and please read the tags.

The kingdom of Roshar, was tempestuous yes. 

But fortunately, there were brave, selfless (or that was the general description) Knights Radiant, who protected this very vast kingdom. 

And yet, there were dark spots, but somehow, by some means, the light always shone on them. 

  
We come to the eve of the day that Lord Honor and Lady Cultivation defeated the malicious Odium, and restored peace to Roshar, allowing humans and singers and listeners to co-exist peacefully. 

The Day of the First Storm, it was called. Or Stormbirth, for it was less of a mouthful. 

And everywhere, a sphere was lit, at the lighting of the horizon by one of three moons.   


Alas, it does not mean Radiants get to relax. For evil does not wait for auspicious days, and people still have to be protected. 

And thus, our story begins at the day of Stormbirth's eve in the capital of Roshar, Urithiru. 

* * *

  
  
"I'll search for the thunderclast- take the people to safety!" Kaladin Stormblessed commanded, pointing his spear towards the frightened townsfolk as a huge aforementioned thunderclast roared from the nearby Iriali Woods. 

The Edgedancer addressed, nodded before sliding her way to the people with an unmistakable grace. 

Kaladin eyed the forest warily. 

_Ready?_ Came Syl's voice. 

"Yeah." He nodded, Lashing himself forward, leaving behind a crowd of townsfolk looking at him in awe.   


The thunderclast as it transpired, was surprisingly and most aggravatingly evasive. 

"You'd think," Kaladin now growled, leaves in his now very much ruffled hair as he trudged forward, wobbling before regaining his balance. 

Syl turned back into a young woman, looking at him warily. 

Kaladin spat out the feathers of a petrified chicken, that had ended up in his mouth after an unfortunate landing before shaking his head wildly. 

"You'd _think_ ," he repeated, glaring at the trees in front of him. 

Syl sighed. 

"It would be storming _easier_ to find a giant rock monster." He growled out, punching a nearby tree that shook alarmingly enough for Syl to look at it in concern, still staring forward. 

"Well, you can't be a successful Radiant all the time- you're bound to have less luck sometime, you know!" Syl said, patting his back. 

Kaladin stared at her. "First of all, that's not encouraging in the slightest. Secondly, strength before weakness, remember?" He said, with awful sarcasm at the last part. 

Syl sighed before looking forward and letting out a gasp of joy. 

"What." Kaladin grumbled. 

"I found a place for you to rest at!" Syl said, pointing at a...

Kaladin squinted. 

It was a tall pink monstrosity, that was what it was. 

Admittedly, it was very nice and tall for a tower, and it had a potted garden at the only window, which was at the top and the waterfall behind it did give a pleasing aesthetic to it. 

Kaladin then stared at Syl. 

"Syl." He said slowly. 

Syl, still very excited, blinked at the tone of his voice and then turned back. 

"Yeah?" She asked, her smile frozen in place. 

Kaladin blinked. "How am I supposed to get up there?" He asked, pointing up. 

He was referring to the unfortunate fact all his spheres had been used up. 

Hence the landing into a nest of a mother chicken and subsequent baby chickens, accidentally swallowing a few feathers and falling through the branches of a particularly huge tree. 

Syl rolled her eyes. "You can still climb, can't you?" 

Kaladin groaned. "Doesn't mean I want to." He grumbled, trudging his way.   


"Storms that was a long climb." Kaladin grumbled again, tumbling into the window and falling on the floor, panting all the while. 

"Wow, this room looks nice!" Syl said, looking around with an approving grin. 

"Yeah sure-" 

Something hit his head just then, and he fell face first on the floor, grunting out with pain as everything went black.   


Kaladin opened his eyes, finding that every muscle in his body was screaming out for mercy and some spheres. 

And that he was tied up. Tightly. 

At the sight of the ropes around him, Kaladin froze and widened his eyes, straightening up and squirming before realizing that he was tied to a storming chair. 

"What in the actual name of Roshar?" Kaladin growled out, kicking his chair with his heel. 

"I wouldn't try that if I were you, mister." Came a feminine voice, dry and sarcastic, from opposite him. 

Kaladin, startled, blinked and looked at the front, eyes widening further. 

There was a young woman standing in front of him, wearing a silken blue havah with a weird, yet oddly attractive spiralling black pattern on the side, and she looked Veden. 

She, Kaladin realized distantly, was _very_ pretty. Red hair, freckles on nose, pink lips thinned into an unimpressive line and she was...wearing a boot on one hand. 

"Now, why don't you tell me what are you doing here?" The young woman asked, folding her arms. 

Kaladin struggled against his ropes before remembering that his spheres had run out of Stormlight and he had lost it all chasing the stormcursed thunderclast. 

Great. Now he was tied up by a spindly Veden girl. 

"Being tied up, apparently." Kaladin said dryly. 

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Oh, how particularly astute of you."

Kaladin cocked his head to a side, rolling his eyes. "Clearly, you aren't as astute as all that if you had to ask me such an obvious question." He said, blandly. 

The girl narrowed her eyes, blue as the sky, and Kaladin raised an eyebrow. 

Oh? 

"Quit the smart talk and answer me. Why were you trying to get in here?" The girl asked, putting the boot free hand on her hip. 

"I wasn't trying to get in here, Syl!" He called, looking to the side for his erring spren. 

Syl manifested into a young woman, grinning sheepishly. 

The girl looked startled, eyes wide. "Storms!" 

"Do you mind explaining to this crazy woman here why I'm here?" Kaladin asked, voice tight as he stared at her. 

The girl blinked her wide eyes before narrowing them. "Excuse me? I'm the crazy one here?! You're the one who tumbled in through the window like a malodorous ball of chull dung!" She screeched, her face red as she pointed the boot at him. 

Kaladin could not help it- his temper got the best of him. 

But really, if you lost a storming giant rock monster, lost all your Stormlight, accidentally ate a chicken, fell from a tree, climbed a storming tall tower and then got tied up by an infuriating woman- your temper would get the best of you. 

"I'm not the one who just decided to knock out a random person with a storming boot and tie them up to a chair!" Kaladin snarled, jumping because he wanted to stand. As it was, the chair only jumped and wobbled dangerously. 

Syl looked terrified. "Guys, guys, please stop! Stop!" She screamed, and then it was silent. 

"Why should I listen to....a strange blue woman?" The girl asked, skeptical. 

"Same reason people who you tie up call you crazy." Kaladin hissed, kicking his chair. 

The girl glared at him. 

"Guys, can you please tone it down?!" Syl yelled, stomping a foot, though it did nothing. 

Kaladin and the girl glared at each other before huffing. 

"Kaladin over here is a Radiant-" 

The girl blinked. "Am I supposed to..know what a Radiant is?" 

Kaladin and Syl shared a surprised look. 

Radiants were practically...household names by now. 

You couldn't throw a stone without it hitting a Radiant's house or the house of someone who's related to a Radiant. 

So to not know one...meant that this girl probably had never met another person before. Or that she was lying impressively, but really, why bother lying about what you didn't know when it was practically pervasive?

"Do you get out of this tower?" Kaladin asked skeptically. 

The girl shrugged. "Nope." She said, eyes on him. 

Kaladin blanched. "Yikes. Who raised you?" 

The girl narrowed her eyes and Syl nudged his arm, glaring at him. 

"My father. And for the record, he believes that the world is a dangerous place filled with uncouth men like you. Guess he wasn't that off the mark." The girl said, with a sniff. 

Kaladin rolled his eyes. "How melodramatic." 

"Kaladin!" Syl hissed and Kaladin winced. 

"Okay, sorry. Won't insult your family again." 

The girl just rolled her eyes in turn. "Whatever. Anyhow. The little....blue girl here..." 

Kaladin could see that the girl didn't believe in what she was saying or what she was seeing. 

That's okay, he figured, considering the girl was not let out of this tower ever since she was born. 

Kaladin grimaced. He would not like that- how was this girl okay with this blatant slavery? Or was she just raised to think that this was normal? 

"I'm a magnificent spren, excuse you." 

Kaladin stifled a grin, snickering. This girl had gotten on Syl's nerves as well, which was amazing. Considering that they were literally non-existent and non-viable for most of the time. 

The girl glared at him. "What's so funny?" 

Kaladin smiled innocently. "Oh, nothing. Sylphrena, why don't you go on? I'm sure this girl is very reasonable to talk with, yeah?" He said, grinning when Syl glared at him. 

Syl huffed. "Okay. No one interrupt me, or the next person that interrupts me gets a nice talking to. Now," her face was solemn and serious as she faced the girl. 

"Kaladin here is a Radiant. Radiants are humans who have the power to bond with spren, people like me. We hail from Shadesmar, which is a spiritual...mirror thingy of this world. We can bond with humans and in turn, give them great powers, depending on what we are. I'm an honorspren, for example, and so Kaladin here can fly and stick things to stuff-"

That's very descriptive, Kaladin thought sardonically but he supposed it was a good way to simplify the explanation for the girl who practically knew nothing. 

"That's impressive." The girl said, in a voice that implied she did not find it impressive. 

"Provided he has enough spheres. Young lady, you are rude." Syl added, dryly. 

The girl blushed, clearly chastised and Kaladin snorted. Fortunately, for him, he was not spotted. 

"I warned you. Anyhow, Kaladin was out of Stormlight- that's the stuff in the spheres he needs to use his powers, and he crashed into a tree-"

"I think we can skip that part." Kaladin said, quickly. 

Syl stuck her tongue out before continuing. "Kaladin, quiet or I'll tell your brother where his choutas have gone to." 

Kaladin blushed. What? Choutas were nice. And he was hungry. Besides, Tien didn't mind him stealing his food. 

Much. 

The girl snickered and Kaladin glared at her. 

"Anyways! He was chasing a giant rock monster and yes, they do exist! So he was tired and I was the one who told him he could rest here. But then you punched his head with a boot. And now we're all grumpy." Syl said, sighing. 

The girl looked fairly contrite. "Let's say I believe you-"

"I'm an honorspren, I don't _lie_." Syl said, offended. 

The girl looked harassed, and storms, Kaladin was enjoying this too much for his own good. 

"Well, she hasn't seen Radiants. Of course she's going to be skeptical, Syl." Kaladin said, finally feeling a smidgen of sympathy. 

The girl looked relieved, sighing. "Thank you. That's what I meant, I didn't mean to cause any offense. Storms. But you just wanted rest?"

Kaladin shrugged, which was difficult and painful considering the storming ropes. "Actually, I wanted the corpse of my giant rock monster, but I suppose rest will do."

The girl bit on her lip, eyeing him with an unreadable look he couldn't decipher. "Huh. Well....I have a proposition for you."

Kaladin shrugged again. "I suppose I can't argue with the girl who tied me up." 

The girl smiled slightly. "I suppose not. My father will be out for three days. I can let you recover here...on one condition." She said, her eyes brightening. 

Kaladin felt wary, like someone was about to chop his head off from behind. "Which is?" 

The girl grinned. "Take me out to see tomorrow's festival and return me back here at midnight!" 

Kaladin now felt like someone doused freezing cold water on him. "What?" He croaked out, disbelieving. 

The girl smiled deviously. "Well, I am a sheltered girl who is disallowed from going outside by her overprotective father. Don't you think she'd like to see the festival?" 

Syl elbowed him. "Well, that sounds doable! Besides," her voice lowered conspiratorially and she smirked at Kaladin. "You might even get something more out of this bargain." 

Kaladin squinted at his spren suspiciously. "I know what you're up to and I'm not falling for it. Weren't you annoyed at her seconds ago?" He hissed, narrowing his eyes. 

Syl grinned. "Well, you do like your strongly opinionated people." She asked, smirking wider. 

Kaladin stiffened, face reddening.

"That, is completely none of your business. Shut up, Syl. We're taking her if it means getting me out of this." He grumbled. 

The girl raised an eyebrow, curious. "Are you guys done?" 

Kaladin huffed. "Yeah. Yeah, sure. I'll take you out to the Stormbirth festival. Just get me out of this." He said, eyeing his ropes with distaste and spreading his hands as wide as he could. Which wasn't much. 

The girl grinned. "All right! We got ourselves a deal!" She said, punching the air and running over to untie him. 

Kaladin blinked, as the girl untied his ropes deftly, realizing he didn't even know her name. "What's your name, anyway?" He asked, curious. 

He stiffened when her hands accidentally touched his, and grew increasingly more uncomfortable as her perfume wafted up his nose. 

She smelled like....fruits. Fruits and flowers, though he couldn't have told you which flowers and fruits she smelled like if you asked him because there was that little fact of him working more than smelling stuff. 

_This, is not leading anywhere good,_ He thought, as he saw Syl snicker at him. 

"Shallan. Shallan Tenadar. And you are Kaladin." She said, busily untying him. 

"Stormblessed!" Syl chimed in with a grin, and Kaladin gave her an unimpressed look before replying to Shallan.

"Yeah. Pleasure to meet you, Brightness Tenadar." He said dryly, groaning slightly as his arm and legs rejoiced in being able to move freely.

Shallan looked at him with surprise, before smirking slightly. "Oh, so you can be courteous. And here I thought you were just a mountain rogue." 

Kaladin made a face. "I'm courteous when the occasion calls for it. Not when I get tied up to the chair, storms, it feels good to move again," He added, standing up and rolling his left shoulder. 

Shallan gave him yet another unreadable look. "Huh. So, how tired are you, on the scale of one to ten?"

"Zero. But I'd like it if you gave me any spheres. Do you have any?" Kaladin asked, rolling his other shoulder. 

Shallan's eyes were on him the whole while- not that he realized it. "Sure. I use them for light." She said, handing him two from her cabinet. 

Kaladin blinked before getting the sphere. The light warmed him, even though he hadn't started to Invest.

"All right, here goes nothing." He said, inhaling the Stormlight in. 

The Stormlight warmed him, as it went deeper and deeper, and what he failed to notice was Shallan's wide eyed look of amazement and awe as he breathed the Stormlight in. 

One sphere ran out before the other, and Kaladin breathed out at the end, feeling much stronger. "Well. I'm glad that's been done. I'm sorry to ask, but is there any more I can use for, on the way?"

Shallan nodded. "Sure. It gets boring in here, and all Father buys me are books, so I just have a ton of spheres to use as light. Hold on. Will three more fit in your pockets?" 

"Thanks. And sorry, again."

Shallan turned back with a grin. "Well, you are taking me to the Stormbirth festival, aren't you? It's the least I can do." She said, her voice much warmer as she took out three spheres, walking so as to not let any of them topple over before handing it to him. 

"Still, I suppose you're doing rather a lot for some weirdo who just crashed into your room, huh?" Kaladin asked, pocketing his spheres.

"Point. You better remember that." Shallan said, packing some stuff into a satchel. 

Syl fluttered over, now minuscule as she sat on his shoulder. "Take her flying!" 

Kaladin choked on thin air, staring at Syl. "Wait, what?"

"Well, how were you planning to get from the middle of nowhere to the town square?" Syl asked, dryly. 

"Walking!" He hissed. 

He had never taken anyone out for flying before, save for the Radiants who had needed it, and with good reason- it was way too uncomfortable.

Syl stuck her tongue out this time with a lot more noise. "Phooey! Just Lash her-"

"Don't you think she'll be terrified? We can chart our way back to the town square in an day and a half, no problem. Besides, I can't run out of Stormlight again."

Syl waggled her eyebrows, grinning. "So you're saying you want to go on a long romantic walk with her?"

Kaladin felt like screaming.

You could _never_ win with Syl. 

"Syl. Do me a favor, and _zip_ it." He hissed, making a zipping motion across his own lips for good measure. 

Syl huffed primly. "Do you know how many people would kill for a chance to receive advice from a piece of a god? You don't respect my magnificence and wonder enough." She

said, folding her arms and turning away. 

Kaladin rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I'm surprised you aren't one of those stuck up play actors. You sound like you'll be perfect for the job."

Syl gasped. "Treachery!"

Kaladin snorted. 

Shallan was eyeing the two of them with interest and Kaladin noticed it a little too late. He then cleared his throat.

"Well. Let's get going, shall we? How do you get down, anyway?"

Shallan grinned. "You'll see, Radiant boy."  


After Kaladin Lashed himself downwards, he stood and waited for Shallan, squinting his eyes to see her better. 

"You think that rope she tied you with is enough to get her down here?" Syl asked, interested. 

"Who knows." Kaladin said with a shrug before feeling the earth underneath him shake. 

He very nearly wobbled before regaining his balance, and then he looked up, widening his eyes as he saw a wooden step manifest out of nowhere. 

Syl widened her own eyes. "Whoa! That looks an awfully lot like Soulcasting!"

"You're right," Kaladin breathed out as steps kept manifesting themselves repeatedly, one below the other from the window to the tower. 

Kaladin blinked- what did this mean Shallan was? Was she lying when she said she hadn't known what a Radiant was? As far as he knew, only Elsecallers and Lightweavers performed Soulcasting. Or did she use a Soulcasting fabrial?

He hadn't seen one in her room- or her cabinet anywhere, but he had learned the hard way that women were very good at hiding things in locations people wouldn't have even thought of. 

He then blinked. The pattern on her dress had been black, and oddly familiar. 

It had looked eerily similar to Tien's own spren. Which happened to be a Cryptic. 

"Syl...did you notice that her dress was strange?" Kaladin asked, in a low voice, as the steps finally finished manifesting. 

Syl snickered. "You were looking at that?"

"Syl, I'm serious. There was a weird black thing on it. Like a Cryptic." Kaladin hissed, as Shallan skipped down the steps. 

His spren blinked, sobering up. "You sure? If that was the case- why didn't she know what a Radiant was?" 

Kaladin clenched his jaw. "Let's find out. Hey, Shallan!" 

Shallan blinked, walking up to him with her satchel slung on to her shoulder. "What's up?"

"What are those things?" Kaladin asked suspiciously, pointing at the steps. 

Shallan blinked before blushing. "Oh yeah, I should have probably told you, I don't know what it is, but I've been able to do a couple of weird things since I was little. This happens to be one of them." She explained, tracing a circle on the grass with her foot. 

Kaladin and Syl exchanged a look. "What else can you do?" Kaladin asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Shallan sighed. "Well, I can change stuff into other stuff. And make illusions." She said, shrugging. 

Kaladin blinked. That sounded awfully a lot like what Tien did....

Like what a Lightweaver did. 

"You sure you aren't a Radiant?" Kaladin asked, directly. 

Shallan looked pensive. "I don't know. My father never spoke to me about it- he just said I was blessed by God and that I should just keep practicing it. But is this what a Radiant has done?" 

Kaladin pursed his lips. 

Something about the whole information smelled like chull leavings- but he suspected Shallan was being truthful, despite how odd her statements were. 

Then again, it wasn't any of his business. 

Or is it? 

He sighed. Strange Radiant-like girl or not, he had made a promise and a promise had to he honored. 

"It is something I've seen certain Radiants doing. But they usually have a spren with them." Kaladin said, eyeing Shallan carefully. 

Shallan blinked. "Huh. Strange." 

"Very. But it's not an issue," Kaladin lied, and instantly felt guilty for it. 

"Why don't we just get going?" 

"Yay!" Shallan cheered, her thoughtful expression vanishing. 

Kaladin thrust a finger into his left eardrum. He had a feeling it was going to be destroyed by tomorrow morning. 

* * *

Shallan as it turned out, was very good at sketching. 

But for walking? Absolutely not. 

Why? Because the storming woman insisted on sketching every plant, spren and animal she saw, and got tired easily.   


"Ooh! Is this seriously a rockbud?!" Shallan squealed as she appraised it. 

"Uh, yes?"   


"That skyeel is seriously gorgeous!" 

Kaladin stared at it doubtfully but did not say a word.   


"Wow, those windspren are seriously pretty!" 

Syl preened. 

"You're an honorspren. Not a windspren." Kaladin said, shaking his head. 

Syl ignored him.   


"A horse?! It is so amazing to see one in real life!" Shallan chirped, going closer to the storming beast. 

"Is it. I haven't noticed." Kaladin muttered, eyeing the horse with dislike. 

The horse actually had the audacity to snort at him while it crooned at Shallan. 

"You are so warm..." Shallan trailed off dreamily, rubbing the side of the horse. 

Syl popped into existence, shaking her head at Kaladin, who only blinked.   


"Half a minute! Kinda need to catch my breath here!" 

"You've been sitting on that rock for twenty minutes."   


"Whoa, slow down! I don't have such long legs!" 

"Maybe that's why you should have eaten your vegetables better." Kaladin said, sardonically. 

He got an angry notebook to the head. 

"And yet somehow, you can reach my head." 

The notebook again, hit his head. 

"Do you enjoy giving me brain damage?" Kaladin asked, staring at Shallan. 

Shallan blinked. "I'm sorry, I was under the impression there was nothing to damage." 

"Ha ha. Keep this up and I'll throw you into the river." 

"I'd kick you into it before you got a chance to throw me into it."

"As if." 

* * *

They took shelter under a particularly huge tree, and Shallan was particularly excited about the variety of fruits on the tree. 

Hence, her jumping up and trying to grab them. Rather unsuccessfully, considering that Kaladin's stomach was growling at this point. 

"Why don't you get a few fruits for her? Be a gentleman!" Syl scolded, appearing in the form a young woman. 

"I'd like to see if she does get a fruit at the end of it all." Kaladin said contemplatively, stuffing some grass into his mouth. 

Syl raised an eyebrow. "Really? Grass? How many cremlings must have pooped on that one?"

"Ew. Way to put a man off his dinner." Kaladin said, looking disgusted at the grass he was now holding.

Shallan still kept jumping at the branches, now squealing defiantly. 

"Huh. If she likes fruits that much, maybe you should take her out for wine!" 

"Absolutely not. She's this strange sober, can you imagine her drunk?" Kaladin asked, blanching. Syl laughed. 

"What are you pulling on such a miserable look now for?" Shallan asked, handing him a fruit. 

Kaladin shrugged. "I happen to be contemplating the nutritional viability of....grass."

Shallan blinked. "I should think that would be zero."

"Everything has a little bit of nutrients in it. Though, I admit that fruits are far better."

"Obviously." Shallan said, sitting down and eating her fruit with a content smile. 

Somehow, it was nice, to see her smile. 

"I have a fairly interesting question for you in light of our previous conversation, has anyone ever kicked you?" Shallan asked, nibbling on her fruit. 

Kaladin shrugged. "Save for the more unpleasant bandits and rogues, my little brother. To be fair, he was only three and I wasn't giving him his stuffed toy." He said, grinning a little at the memory. 

Shallan mock gasped. "You have been a tyrant since day one? How cruel." 

Kaladin waved a hand, snorting as he sat down on a rock and chewed away. "He did steal my surgical play set, you know." 

Shallan blinked, smiling slightly. "Wow. You just got more interesting. You had a surgical play set?" 

Kaladin went slightly pink. "Well, my mother bought it for me. She thought I'd like a little practice before committing to the actual thing." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Shallan giggled. "I can't imagine you as a child. The best I can do is imagine you much tinier, still with that fearsome scowl on the face." 

"The scowling came only after hormones kicked in. I was a quiet child. Unlike you, I'm sure." Kaladin retorted, face reddening. 

Shallan let out an amused breath. "My father actually has told me I never talked much as a child." 

Kaladin rested an elbow on a thigh and his chin on said hand, still chewing. "So it's always been you and your father?" He asked, curious. 

Shallan sat down, knees close to her chin as she chewed on her fruit. "Well, yes. My mother died when I was born. Father has always been gentle with me but I think he's a lot more overprotective than required. Seventeen years and this is the first day I'm coming out of that tower." She said, softly. 

Kaladin felt troubled. "Whatever protection a father feels towards his daughter, surely it doesn't warrant naivety?" He said, biting his lip and wondering if he had gone too far. 

Shallan chuckled, though the sound lacked humor. "Well, I'm not sure of the answer to that question. But enough of me, what about your family?" She asked, face brightening at her question. 

Kaladin shrugged a shoulder, kicking himself for having prodded Shallan enough to make her uncomfortable enough for her to change the topic. "Well, my father is a surgeon and my mother assists him. Actually, she'd like you very much." 

Shallan grinned. "Why, because I'm so charming?" 

Kaladin huffed. "No, because you possess a similar brand of humor." 

"I'll take it for the compliment it surely is." Shallan said, bowing her head with her hand spreading out. 

Kaladin rolled his eyes but smiled. "And the aforementioned little brother. His name is Tien. He's actually two years younger than I am, and he's a Radiant as well." 

Shallan nodded, eyes alight with so much interest that it nearly took him aback before he reminded himself that he was probably the first human she talked to save for her father. 

Which was...fairly depressing. 

"I'm guessing there are different types of Radiants?" 

"Orders, actually. I'm a Windrunner and he's a Lightweaver. He can do what you do." Kaladin explained, taking out another fruit. 

Shallan blinked. "Seriously?" 

Kaladin nodded. "Yeah. Hence you understand my confusion." 

Shallan looked thoughtful. "Well...I suppose, Pattern is a spren as well?" 

"Who?" Kaladin asked, sitting up a little straighter than before. 

The pattern on her dress wavered, before floating upwards and shrinking to a smaller size. 

"Hmmmm...you called?" A warm male voice came from the pattern, and Kaladin stared. 

It was definitely a Cryptic. Kaladin would bet his life on that. 

"Hello, Pattern. And Kaladin, meet Pattern. Who is apparently my spren. And Pattern, meet Kaladin." 

"Hmmm, another person.....interesting. And very much pleasant." Pattern said, voice drowsy as if asleep. 

Kaladin stiffened at the mention of Shallan's isolation. 

"Ah. Nice to meet you." He said, as Syl appeared on his shoulder, eyeing Pattern curiously. 

"That is definitely a-" 

"Cryptic. I know. Something is strange here." Kaladin whispered, to Syl, thankful that Shallan was quipping about him to Pattern. 

"He's hardly pleasant, Pattern. Maybe a little?" 

"How is someone a little pleasant?" 

"They just are, Pattern." 

"As I have said before, humans are truly fascinating!" 

"Careful. I mean, I'd love it if you made a move on Shallan, Stormfather knows you need some romance in your life-" 

Kaladin rolled his eyes. 

"-but still. Cryptics can't be trusted. And this Cryptic is stranger than most. There's something off about him." Syl said, nodding. 

"Well. It's only for a while." Kaladin said, shrugging a shoulder and chewing on his previously forgotten fruit. 

"And then what? You just forget her?" Syl asked dryly, hands on hips. 

Kaladin swallowed. He himself wasn't sure of the answer to that question. 

The problem was, he was starting to like Shallan considering that she was so different in a way he could understand. 

He sighed. 

"And then what, Kaladin?" 

Kaladin didn't reply. 

"So, Kaladin." 

Kaladin turned to look at Shallan, blinking. "What's up?"

Shallan looked pensive. "Could you tell me what being a Radiant entails? It's...kind of fascinating to be honest." 

Kaladin licked his lips, biting on the lower once before talking. "Sure." He breathed in, and looked at Shallan fully. 

"To be a Radiant...above all, means to swear oaths." Kaladin said, holding up a finger and holding Shallan's gaze. 

"There are ten orders of Knights Radiants. Five oaths, to be precise. For us, the first oath is the same. Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination. Only by swearing and understanding oaths, will the spren allow you to activate the Surges, the fundamental forces of the universe. But to be a Radiant, means understanding death. Understanding weakness, fear, anger, and all that can drag a human down. To understand that, you have to be broken." Kaladin said seriously. 

Shallan widened her eyes. "Oh."

She then bit on her lip, looking as if to ask him a question. She swallowed, clearly having difficulty in asking. 

Kaladin blinked. "Shallan?"

"Well....if you have to be broken...what broke _you_ , Kaladin?"

Kaladin jerked up in surprise and widened his eyes, taken aback by the question. "What?"

Shallan cringed before shaking her head. "Uh, forget it. That was clearly very personal and very dumb-" she blabbered, shamespren falling on her.

Kaladin stared. "Do you...really want to know?" He asked, tilting his head in curiosity. 

Shallan swallowed. "Well....of course. Despite your often malodorous presence, I would like to know you better." She said, smiling weakly but also in trepidation. 

Kaladin bit on his lip before sighing. "Fine. It's not a problem. I'll tell you what happened." 

Shallan widened her eyes. "Kaladin, if it's-"

"It's not a problem with me." He replied, firmly. 

Shallan bit on her lip before sighing. "If you're sure." She said, in a small voice. 

Kaladin stretched one leg on the grass, the wind blowing past him then. "I suppose, I should tell you how I lived so far to understand my reasons for being broken better. If that is okay with you?"

Shallan nodded, eyes gentle. "Of course."

"My father is a surgeon. He doesn't accept treatment from the people, and we lived through donations," he started off, voice quiet. 

"Father used to say that a life was priceless. A healed life was far too important to put a price tag on it. That was what he would say. I didn't..." Kaladin swallowed, feeling shame for the anger and resentment he had felt back then. "I didn't understand back then. I thought he was drowning our family. We actually lived in a small village in Alethkar, Hearthstone. We didn't starve but I just thought we could do better. Far better than what we were doing back then." 

Kaladin sighed. "The hardest thing was, the people in our village hated Father because their family members were his patients, and he couldn't save them. Most of them. I didn't understand why he was so selfless towards a couple of ungrateful, small minded people. And then....the lord of the village died."

Shallan was listening intently, something Kaladin had jokingly thought was impossible, but she didn't blink or so much as open her mouth to interrupt. 

"That's when Roshone came in. The new village lord." 

Storms. So many years later, Kaladin was still feeling resentment and anger towards the man. Even though...Even though it had been his father's fault. 

"Roshone caused our family to nearly starve. Everything changed. He asked the people to stop donating food and money for us, but, some of them, the ones who were grateful, they helped us out. Eventually," Kaladin swallowed here.

"It turns out that my father stole the spheres belonging to the highlord before Roshone came. So, we had to move to Urithiru. Where..." Kaladin grimaced. 

"Where my grandparents live." 

Who also happened to be gods and the supreme rulers of Roshar, a more joyful part.

"They gave us amnesty, and ever since then, we've been living here. That's when the real breaking part came," and here, Kaladin forced himself to chuckle dryly.

"My brother...was nearly murdered. By a drunken man, we were just- I was just picking him up from his job at the carpenter's, but then it turns out that the man was..." Kaladin squeezed his eyes shut. 

"The man was a patient of my father's and.....someone who repeatedly kept badmouthing my family. Told us that we got it easy and we escaped justice. So I beat him up. And he had stalked us, and tried to murder Tien, and it took everything I had to save him. Then that's when it hit me."

Kaladin inhaled, the memory suffusing him. "It was my fault. That Tien was hurt. After that, I helped the man recover, and apologized to him. End of story." He said, breathing out, suddenly feeling exhausted. 

"Wow." Shallan whispered, voice small. 

"Yeah. Turns out you have to be on the teetering edge of life and death to be a Radiant." Kaladin breathed out with a slight groan, lying on the grass briefly for a moment before getting back up again. 

"I think....that was really noble of you." Shallan said, a tiny smile on her face.

Kaladin snorted. "I was just taking responsibility. It wasn't noble. Just...just a mistake that could have been avoided." He said softly, swallowing. 

"But to help the man and admit your mistake even after he tried to hurt someone close to you? I think that's inhumanely noble." Shallan said, gently. 

Kaladin shook his head. Shallan shrugged. 

"That's just what I think anyway. But, Kaladin...thank you for telling me this. You didn't have to." Shallan said, placing a soft hand on his shoulder. 

Kaladin blinked, raising his head very slightly to look at her. "Well...you're a friend. A strange one, yes. But a friend, nonetheless." He said, sincerely.

The truth of those words took him aback- Shallan was a friend, to him, at this point.

Somehow, but it had happened. Shallan wasn't terribly annoying, and very much lively in a nice way, if he was being honest. He couldn't find it in him to complain about her, much, which was strange considering that she had tied him up and punched his head with a boot. 

The smile on Shallan's face was too bright, too earnest for Kaladin to face directly. 

"Really?"

Kaladin coughed. "Well, yeah. You're not horrible. You're just really strange."

Shallan hugged him and he froze in shock, widening his eyes and blinking as his arms stuck out awkwardly. 

"Eh?" He squeaked out. 

Shallan must have noticed how frozen his body was and quickly pulled back, horrified. "Oh no, did I just ruin it?"

Kaladin was sure his face was on fire now. "Uh...no?"

Shallan looked sheepish. "Well, I've...always wanted to have a friend I could hug. But, uh, you're not particularly amenable to it, are you?" She asked, twiddling her thumbs.

Kaladin found himself touched by the sincerity in her eyes and he only just shrugged weakly. "Well, try to give me a warning next time." He found himself saying.

The joyspren surrounding her despite her quiet giggles into her freehand only made his face heat up. 

* * *

Unfortunately for Kaladin, fate had different ideas for him. 

Like, storms, sending an assassin on their way?

Kaladin at first didn't notice the figures skulking them, but as they went further, he stopped, suspicious.

Shallan stopped, scared. "Uh, anything wrong?"

"I could have sworn I-" 

A figure sprinted through the trees, and Kaladin caught the dagger coming for them. 

Shallan inhaled sharply, hand to chest. "By Roshar-" 

Kaladin shook his head, clenching his jaw as he held out his hand, tossing the dagger away. "Syl!" 

Syl transformed into a giant Shardblade, and Shallan squeaked.

"When were you going to tell me your spren was a giant storming _sword_?!" Shallan shrieked, voice two octaves higher. 

"Probably when it came up, meaning I thought never! Get down!" Kaladin shouted, on the defensive. 

_Maybe she could lure out our would be assassin using an illusion? She did say she could make some,_ Syl suggested, from inside his mind.

"I don't want to get her involved. This isn't what she came out here for. Shallan, take cover!" Kaladin hissed, trying to gauge their attacker's movements. 

_Oh yeah, you're right about that too. How are you going to fight someone who's intent on being hidden?_

"By making sure he doesn't get hidden." Kaladin said grimly, Lashing himself up to a tree branch, sitting on a particularly heavy one, watching the opposite trees sharply for any movement. 

The storming attacker was too spry and stealthy for their own good. 

_It could be a woman! Women are just as dangerous_! Syl protested. 

"I really don't want to get into a debate about gender equality at this moment though I apologize for my misstep. There!" Kaladin shouted, spotting a flash of silver move from right to left and-

Behind him. 

Kaladin turned and the Sylblade clashed with a....Shardblade. 

"Storms, this is tougher than I thought." He muttered, Lashing himself downwards and gripping the Sylblade with both hands. 

The attacker was hooded, and covered from top to bottom in black, their Shardblade gleaming like an ominous guillotine. 

"You want me? Show your face first, you storming coward!" 

The attacker's mask billowed out briefly, and their swords clashed again, the attacker backing him against a tree. 

Kaladin grunted but held his ground, parrying the blows as best as he could but clearly this person was way more skilled with the sword than he could hope to be. 

The Sylblade turned into a spear and before the attacker could react, Kaladin grabbed the Sylspear with one hand and quickly jabbed it at the side of the attacker's head, earning himself a harsh cry of pain and a whole lot of blood on the spear. 

Kaladin grimaced, pulling out the spear and shaking it so as to shake off the blood. The attacker fell on the ground, clearly dead. 

Syl turned into a young woman, breathing heavily. 

"Sorry, Syl." Kaladin said, allowing himself to regret the life he had taken at the moment. 

Syl just shook her head. "You had to do it. He would have not let us alive, I know it. But who is he?" She asked, eyes filled with worry. 

He turned for Shallan, scared that she would probably be witness to harsh and gory violence this quickly, and found her watching the whole thing from behind a rock, eyes wide. 

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Are you all right?" Kaladin found himself saying, voice filled with regret. 

Shallan shook her head, standing up, even though she was pale and her hands were clearly shaking. "I'm...I'm fine...It's just, never thought I got to see the art of murder this close." She joked feebly. 

At least, she could still face him. 

"Well, it's messy. And disturbing. And very smelly. Don't try it out, I mean, you're an artist, so gotta know about the art styles you can't practice, right?" Kaladin said, smiling weakly. 

Shallan tapped her forehead with one finger. "I will keep that in mind and thank you for the gracious instruction. And you are right about the smelly part." She said, pinching her nose with distaste.

Kaladin stepped away from the body, grimacing in turn. "Yeah, that's the hard work. Mind if I do a little routine inspection? You can keep a fire going. It's almost night time."

Shallan saluted, her smile much more genuine now as she went off to gather a few logs. 

Kaladin now frowned, staring at the body. "All right, let's see what your deal is, buddy." 

He took off the hood and the mask, revealing a golden haired man whose eyes were open with shock and took off the robe, frowning. 

"Can't see anything familiar about him..." Kaladin said contemplatively, frowning and checking the corpse's arsenal. It consisted of a few knives but nothing. 

"Kaladin, I think I found something!" Syl said, hovering close to the man's right arm. 

Kaladin blinked before checking it out. 

It was a tattoo, of three...overlapping diamonds. Huh. 

As far as Kaladin knew, tattoos were gotten because they were meant to look cool or something? Or that was what Adolin had told him anyway, and this certainly looked too organized for a silly tattoo.

"It looks weird. But also suspicious. We should probably check this out with Adolin- he might know something." Kaladin said, in a low voice. 

Adolin Kholin may have appeared as a silly nobleman's son at first sight, but he was far more clever than what met the eye. If anyone knew about possible assassins, it would either be Adolin or his cousin, Jasnah, but Kaladin had never really liked her anyway. 

Syl nodded, looking worried and grave, hands folded together anxiously. 

"Sorry for sticking you into his head." Kaladin joked, feebly. 

Syl huffed. "I am a glorious weapon of magnificence and that is the respect you give me. Now I know I said I wanted to look at human minds in detail, but that was not what I meant." 

Kaladin smiled, and Syl returned it, fluttering over to his shoulder. 

"We should probably check if Shallan is all right. She was watching the whole thing." Kaladin said, eyeing the young woman in worry.   


"So. Nice fire." Kaladin said, watching the fire crackle before him. 

Shallan snorted. "The storming logs wouldn't catch fire at first. Kept telling me they were logs and wouldn't turn into fire even for a penny." She groused, tearing off a piece of cremling's leg before chewing on it with a relative ease. 

Kaladin blinked, befuddled. "....Okay then." 

How was he supposed to...well, make sure she was okay? She seemed determined to think nothing of the matter, but he could see it- the shaking of her fingers, her tense posture and her too pale face. 

"Hey." He started off, voice soft as he hugged his knees. 

Shallan looked at him, blinking. "What's up?"

Kaladin didn't face her. "I'm sorry." 

Shallan blinked. "Well, what for?" She asked, smiling in bemusement. 

Kaladin grimaced. "For you having had to watch me murder someone?"

Shallan's smile wavered. "Oh, that."

"Yeah. I mean, you don't have to put on a brave face for it, or any bravado. I know seeing a dead body for the first time can be pretty traumatizing." Kaladin said, gently as he brought his knees closer, resting his chin on them and facing her. 

Shallan chuckled. "Well, I didn't count on having to see that, yes. It was scary, yes. But...I'm glad you were there to protect me. Not me in general, but I'm glad I didn't get killed by that man. And I have you to thank for that, speaking of which..." Shallan scooted closer, so that he could see her more clearly. 

"Thank you." She said, quietly, her words holding a world of trust. 

"It's kind of my job to protect people." Kaladin said dryly, but he felt touched. 

People had thanked him before, but this meant a lot more to him. He couldn't explain why, though. 

"Well, you do a good job of it, tree boy." Shallan said, eyes warm. 

"Call me tree boy again and I'll start dousing you." Kaladin warned, but only in jest. 

He still held a water jug from Shallan's satchel however, and fortunately, it was filled to the brim. 

"Tree boy, tree boy, tree boy! Tree boy- storms!" Shallan shrieked as Kaladin grinned at her now soaked figure, holding his now empty jug with satisfaction. 

"I didn't think you'd actually do it!" Shallan shrieked, scandalized but Kaladin just grinned wider. 

She made him feel like a little kid again, he thought with a wider grin, as she sputtered and coughed, and the thought made him warm. 

* * *

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." Kaladin groused, poking Shallan with a stick.

"Stop that." Shallan mumbled, sleepily.

"Do you want to get soaked again?"

Shallan got up with a yelp, glaring at a smirking Kaladin. 

"Thought so." Kaladin said, smirking wider. 

"How is that bringing misery to a helpless maiden such as myself brings you such joy?" Shallan groused, getting up. 

Kaladin snorted. "Helpless maiden, my foot."

Shallan only made a face. "Will we stop somewhere to refresh ourselves? I don't fancy walking around with morning breath. Or morning hair."

Kaladin rolled his eyes. "There's a river a few steps away. Though, don't take too long."  


Much to Kaladin's consternation, Shallan took far too long. 

Though, he did sigh in relief when she made (Soulcast?) a wooden cabin for herself to change her clothes in.

She came out, with a bright grin. "Do you want a peach? They're pretty good for morning breath! And you could use some," she said, wrinkling her nose. 

Kaladin rolled his eyes. Amazing how they didn't hurt. "Pass."

He got a peach to the head though. Meaning that his apparently malodorous morning breath was not to be tolerated. 

Kaladin chewed on it, albeit ungraciously. 

Women.

* * *

"Welcome to Urithiru." Kaladin said blandly, come sunrise, as they finally reached the town square and Shallan gazed around in wonder. 

"Whoa...I had no idea the city was _this_ beautiful." Shallan said, breathing out in awe as children played around and people smiled as they laughed and chattered all the while decorating the town square of Urithiru with banners, paintings and flowers. 

Kaladin found himself agreeing. The corner of his lips quirked up as he saw Shallan's eyes light up with awe. 

"I must simply draw this later. It's...it's so _alive_!" Shallan gushed, smiling. 

Kaladin chuckled. "Urithiru is amazing." He agreed, Shallan's amazement proving to be extremely gratifying. 

Shallan looked at him curiously. "Wow. And here I thought it would be difficult to amaze you. Or make you laugh." 

Kaladin snorted, the sight of the breathtaking city before them unable to dampen his mood. That and Shallan wasn't very off the mark either. "Well, as hard as it to believe, I do behave like a human. With the laughing and the breathing and the standing." 

"But you're more proficient at your glaring and hissing, so I do apologize for having mistook you for an axehound." Shallan said wisely, but she was smiling and her tone was light. 

"And since your blathering and blabbering was proficient, I mistook you for an axehound pup. Do forgive me for that." Kaladin said, smiling wider. 

Shallan laughed. "I didn't think I'd ever find someone with my sense of humor, but hey. It's nice." 

Kaladin nodded- it was nice. And very much companionable. 

Shallan then spotted a vendor selling some weird pots of ink and _'_ _ooh'_ ed in appreciation. "Hey, tree boy?" 

Kaladin sighed softly. "What?"

Shallan ignored this. "I'm off to buy a few art supplies. Could you wait here?" 

Kaladin snorted. "Oh, sure. Fine. It's not like I'm going anywhere." 

Shallan grinned, patting his cheek. "Thank you!" She cried, running off. 

Kaladin touched the spot on his cheek that she had just patted, rubbing it in confusion. 

"She likes you! I can see it in the way she looks at you!" Syl chirped, appearing as a blue cloud this time. 

Kaladin exhaled. "She is just fascinated at the idea of human interaction. I'm not particularly likable, remember?" He quipped. 

Syl transformed into a young woman and flicked his forehead. "You would be a lot more likable if you listened to me." 

"I do listen. I just pretend I don't." 

Syl sighed melodramatically. 

Just then, Kaladin noticed a few little girls stared at Shallan in wonder, and blinked. 

"She has such beautiful hair!" 

"Is she Veden?" 

"She looks so pretty!" 

Kaladin blinked again. Huh. 

"What are you brooding at now, tree boy?" Shallan teased, coming back with a bunch of art supplies. Pots, brushes, notebooks, you name it. 

"I am not brooding. There is a difference between just looking and brooding." Kaladin said, dryly. 

Shallan, out of curiosity, looked at what he was looking at, and the girls thus blushed. 

"Oh. They're uh, talking about how weird I am, huh?" Shallan asked, with a forced laugh. 

Kaladin sighed and pushed Shallan gently towards the little girls, despite her cry of surprise. 

"There. Now you can talk to people, and these girls can start telling you a little about what people see when they look at you. Shoo." Kaladin said, in the blandest voice manageable. 

Shallan blinked, and kneeled to their heights, hesitantly while Kaladin leaned against a nearby pole. 

He blinked as he suddenly spotted Tien talking to the same art vendor. 

"Tien?" 

Tien jumped, so much that his supplies fell out of his hands and Kaladin swiftly rushed in, catching them. 

"Stormwinds! Do you have to sneak up on me like that?" Tien asked, blinking. 

Kaladin raised his eyebrows, unimpressed. "Why am I stuck with the most dramatic people?" He groused. 

"Because you love us?" Tien asked, smiling cheekily. 

Kaladin let out an amused breath. "Brat." 

"I'm eighteen and a man. You can't call me a brat anymore." Tien said, sticking out his tongue. 

"Yes. As demonstrated by your not very childish behavior." Kaladin said, rolling his eyes. 

Tien laughed. "Anyways, what are you-"

Shallan then chose that moment to call him. "Kaladin, those little girls were simply _adorable_!" She gushed, face pink with pleasure. 

Kaladin blinked and turned to look at her and did a double take.

Well. Suffice to say, if he hadn't found her gorgeous before, he sure did _now_ , he realized uncomfortably, swallowing. 

Shallan was still the same, but her face was dusted a pleasant shade of pink and her smile of happiness even attracted a few joyspren- and the girls had done a very good job of braiding her hair, with a flower crown on top, no less. 

"-doing here?" Tien asked slowly, blinking in confusion. 

Kaladin jerked to look at his little brother, who was blinking at Shallan.

Oh, storms. 

"Kaladin? Who's that?" Shallan asked, curiously, tilting her head to the side. 

"How on Roshar is a beautiful girl like that knowing your name? And why do I not know her?" Tien asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. 

Kaladin smacked his own forehead. 

Great. Just, simply, storming, great. 

"Everybody, shut up. Shallan, that is Tien. My little brother. And Tien, that's Shallan Tenadar....a girl I met. She's a friend." Kaladin said, narrowing his eyes at Tien at the last part.

Tien rolled his eyes. "Yes, because friends want to talk about how adorable little girls are, yeah?"

Kaladin elbowed him none too gently (very gently, in fact) and Tien just grinned. 

"Oh, so you're the one who stole Kaladin's toys?" Shallan asked, in interest. 

Tien then raised an eyebrow yet again. "And friends talk about annoying siblings too, huh." 

"Very much so." Shallan said, grinning as she completely missed Tien's suggestive tone. 

"Hey. Adolin and I swap stories of how annoying you and Renarin are. It is what friends do." Kaladin said, looking at Tien defensively.

"Who's Adolin? Is he another member of the 'We Love Annoying Kaladin' Club?" Shallan asked, curiously. 

Tien snorted. "That's one way of putting it. He babysat my brother as a baby." He said, sweetly. 

Shallan slapped a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles. "Seriously?" 

"He's a childhood friend." Kaladin grumbled. 

Tien chuckled as his brother's face heated up more and more. "Yeah. If you want any embarrassing diaper stories of my brother, Adolin's your go-to guy."

"Okay, that's enough, Tien, or your little accident is going to get a lot bigger." Kaladin said, innocently. 

Tien gasped. "You _wouldn't_." 

Kaladin shrugged. "You started it." He said, patting Tien's head as the latter squawked. 

"I'd love to hear diaper stories! Where can I find an Adolin?" 

"Nowhere." "Wherever there's a duel or plenty of women or both!" Both Kaladin and Tien said at the same time, before staring at each other. 

Shallan blinked, letting the words register. "Okay then- oh, what's that music for?" She asked, as a merry tune suddenly swept through the air. 

Kaladin rolled his eyes while Tien eagerly deigned to explain. "People dance a lot before the main event in Stormbirth happens. With loved ones, friends, you name it! It's a day of celebration after all." He said, cheerily. 

Shallan placed a hand on Kaladin's arm, smiling. "Let's dance!" She said, eyes bright as she watched the men and women dancing happily.

Kaladin blinked, sputtering in embarrassment. "W-wait, what?"

Tien smirked. "Oh, Kaladin, you can't refuse your _friend_ , can you?" He drawled, grinning. 

Kaladin narrowed his eyes but found that, sadly enough, Tien was right. 

He looked at Shallan, whose eyes were shining earnestly and pleadingly. 

"Can't you dance alone?" Kaladin said weakly, though he did not have much strength to say this. 

Shallan pouted. "It would be boring." 

Kaladin stared. "You want me to dance with you so you don't get bored?"

Shallan snorted. "I made you drag me out of my room because I was bored, remember?"

They stared at each other for a moment, before Kaladin sighed. 

_'The woman has got to have her way, Kal. If she doesn't, you'll find yourself faced with scowls the whole day long and your mood'll be ruined.'_ A voice that sounded suspiciously like Adolin's rang throughout his head and he blinked. 

Why....was he remembering a piece of romantic advice? From a man who had thirteen courtships per month? 

First of all, why was he remembering romantic advice? 

He gulped. This epiphany was not doing anything good for his body. 

"Fair warning, I can't dance." He said feebly, feeling his knees knock themselves and hoping this excuse would get him out of this pestilent affair.

It did not. Shallan just waved a hand. "Half of them aren't even dancing properly to the rhythm yet they're having a good time. I just want to dance with a friend, and that happens to be you. Unless of course, you aren't actually my friend and are planning to poison me in my sleep?"

Kaladin scowled at Tien upon hearing his helpless giggles. 

"Are you Kaladin? Are you planning to poison her in her sleep?" Tien asked through giggles, voice high as he kept snickering. 

Kaladin found it better to ignore his unusually annoying brother at this moment. 

"Oh, fine." He groused, absolutely not feeling better when Shallan's face brightened. 

"Yay!" Shallan said cheerily, dragging him out and making him lose his balance a couple of times as she did so. 

* * *

Tien was met with the pleasure of stumbling into Adolin Kholin arguing with a woman in a rather flustered, harried manner. 

Well, not that he was pleased with Adolin getting into an argument, but he was pleased to see Adolin because it meant maybe that the gossip monger of Urithiru could find out who this strange girl because by Honor, he had no clue. 

It felt strange to be swearing by his grandfather, but hey. It was the more pleasant of swears. 

"Adolin!" Tien called, grinning. 

Adolin blinked before pleasantly apologizing to the woman and rushing away with a look of obvious relief on his face. 

"Tien! Thanks for saving me. What's up? Can I help you with those? They look awfully heavy!"

Tien knew there was a reason even his own less than cheerful brother liked Adolin- it was hard not to. He gratefully shoved them into Adolin's strong arms and smiled.

"What did you do to the poor girl this time?" Tien asked, shaking his head. 

Adolin huffed. "Nothing! Okay....maybe I might have forgotten that today was the day I was supposed to take her out for chicken?" He added, sheepishly smiling. 

Tien shook his head. "Oh, Adolin."

"Brat. Now, where did your brother go off to? Wasn't he missing for a day and a half?" Adolin asked, curiously. 

Tien smirked. "That was precisely what I wanted to talk to you about- do you know the pretty girl dancing with him right now?"

Adolin blinked. "Did I hear correctly?"

Tien snorted. "Oh, you did. My brother is out there on the town square dancing with a very beautiful girl. And I was hoping you might know who she is."

Adolin blinked, again and stared at the direction Tien was looking at. 

There, Shallan was happily skipping and tapping away to the beat while Kaladin just kept sighing every few minutes and held her carefully by the waist, moving with her, to make sure she didn't get carried away and fall down in a fit of delight. 

The Windrunner in question was looking both flustered and awkward, though he seemed fairly relaxed. 

Adolin blinked again. "I am sure of what I am seeing, but I am not sure if it is a hallucination or reality, Tien." He said, voice hushed and filled with awe. 

Tien shook his head. "Nope. It is very much real. Apparently, he led her out just because she was bored. Can you imagine?"

Adolin stared. "Absolutely not. And I haven't even seen this girl in Urithiru!" He said, in disbelief. 

Tien got startled. "What?"

Adolin shook his head. "I swear on Vedeledev, I haven't seen that girl in my entire life! Where in the name of Cultivation did he get that girl from? The Tranquiline Halls?" He asked, shaking his head. 

Tien blinked. "Huh....maybe she's the reason Kaladin was missing?"

Adolin raised an eyebrow. "Really? Did he meet her in the Iriali Woods or something? But there aren't any records of people living there..." He trailed off, looking confused. 

Tien shook his head. "Is this just a weird fever dream or something?"

"I don't know, your father is the surgeon." Adolin said, shrugging. 

Tien gave him a pointed look. "You also happen to be the one using the Surge of Progression, Adolin."

"Hey, Regrowth doesn't work for illusions, buddy! But..." Adolin smiled, watching Kaladin gently hold Shallan with a smile as she twirled around. 

"It'd be nice if this wasn't a fever dream, you know. He does look happy, and how many times can we see that?" He asked, softly. 

Tien let out an amused breath. "True. It's nice to see him like this."

"Though I'd like to know how she got him to dance while I had to give him three glasses of violet wine to do so." Adolin said, grinning. 

"You lack a certain feminine mystique, I think."

* * *

They finally stopped, panting and laughing and utterly breathless, and rested against a wall as joyspren fluttered around them though a lone passionspren wavered around Kaladin. 

"That was, hands down, the best time of my life." Shallan breathed out, cheeks pink with exertion.

Kaladin eyed her, in surprise. "Really? Even when I stepped on your toes for the first five minutes?" He joked, smirking slightly. 

"Yes, tree boy. Even then. It's just...really fun. Being with someone. I wonder..." Shallan's blue eyes glazed over as she leaned against the wall. 

"Why? It's so obvious there's so much good in the world. And yes, I know I nearly got attacked my first day outdoors, but still. The world is so amazing. Isn't it?"

Kaladin nodded. "It does have its moments. You should probably talk with your father." He cursed himself as soon as the words came out of his mouth but Shallan only let out an exhale. 

"I'd like to. But then I'd have to explain why I was outdoors and...he's not a pleasant man when crossed. I know that much." She said softly, shifting her feet.

Kaladin blinked, unsure of whether she wanted his opinion or not. 

"Still...Kaladin Stormblessed, thank you." Shallan said sincerely, holding his gaze. 

Kaladin chuckled tiredly. "You didn't exactly give me a choice in the matter, you realize."

Shallan laughed but her expression softened. "I did, though. You could have left me alone any time, anywhere, and no one would be around to ask you why-"

"Syl is." Kaladin said, but Shallan swatted his arm with a chuckle. 

"Still. You could have left me. You _could_ have tricked me out of this, but you didn't." Shallan said softly, her gaze unwavering. 

Kaladin felt his cheeks heat up- they seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Well, I don't believe in tricking people. A deal is a deal."

"That makes you quite different. In a good way." She murmured. 

"In that case, you're welcome, Brightness Shallan." Kaladin said quietly, smiling. 

And then, in a surprising impulse, he held her hand, grinning. 

Shallan looked up, surprised as he, pulled her forward much like how she had, earlier in the day. 

"Besides, don't thank me yet. The best part of the festival is yet to come. You ready?" Kaladin said, his smile full of daring and anticipation as passionspren shone into life around him. 

* * *

Adolin and Tien, after having bought a satchel to put all of Tien's erring art supplies, were surprised to find a figure lurking in the corner where Kaladin and Shallan were laughing. 

"What the-" Adolin asked, frowning. 

Tien blinked. "What's up?"

"Look over there and tell me someone isn't following your brother and that young lady." Adolin murmured, narrowing his eyes. 

Tien blinked again, before gasping. 

There was a man, just as Adolin said, who was following the couple as they headed for the boat. 

Tien raised an eyebrow, narrowing his own eyes. "That looks fairly suspicious- oh storms, he's following them step for step, why hasn't Kaladin noticed?"

Adolin rolled his eyes with a theatrical sigh. "He's with a woman who is making him smile faster than a listener is changing rhythms, there is no way a man's brain is functioning properly when it's heavily attracted. Of course he's not going to notice. So it'll be our job to keep them safe." He said, waving a hand. 

Tien nodded, brown eyes flashing. "All right. Mau, would you be kind enough to spot that man for me?"

His spren appeared from his pockets, buzzing. "Of course...the one following your brother?"

"Yep. Adolin, we're renting a boat." Tien said, grimly as they started sprinting forward. 

"And I thought we were just going to relax and enjoy the festival without wondering when we're going to meet Voidspren or thunderclasts..." Adolin whined, running after Tien. 

Tien gave him a dry look, very much reminiscent of Kaladin, as they ran.

* * *

"Whoa!" Shallan let out in amazement as Kaladin softly placed a sphere on the tree before Lashing himself downward to the boat. 

"You've seen me flying before." Kaladin said dryly, landing, but secretly pleased at Shallan's awestruck face. 

"Seriously though, being so high up in the skies, isn't it amazing?"

Kaladin chuckled quietly, seating himself in a more comfortable position. "Yeah, it is. There's nothing like flying."

Shallan grinned. "Kinda makes you want to go off into a tangent, compose a poem or two?" 

"Ha ha. Don't lump in the same category as those romantics." Kaladin said, snorting. 

Shallan made a mocking face before placing her sphere on the far left tip of the boat. 

All was silent for a while- and this was the time Kaladin took to study Shallan's features as she now started sketching the city of Urithiru. 

She was focused, that much was certain. Her eyes were much more brighter, intense, and her hands, delicate, moved swiftly with an energy he couldn't describe. 

_Is it as they say? Am I getting too attached to her? How is this possible? I've only known her for a whole day,_ Kaladin wondered, biting on his lip. 

Syl hadn't appeared- probably her idea of giving them some privacy, which Kaladin ardently appreciated. He couldn't face much of Tien's own joyful teasing, he was just content to...know this intriguing woman more. Better.

She'll be leaving. Her father is a man who she does not wish to cross. 

But how could Kaladin just...be expected to forget her? 

She warmed him, in a way Tien didn't. At first he thought it was just that, the way her optimism reminded him so much of Tien's but no. That wasn't it. 

Shallan had a _strength_ in her that could not be defined. 

And he wanted to know her better. As a person. As a friend. And...possibly...something more. 

There. 

Kaladin breathed out, hand to chest. 

_I like this girl. Much more than a friend. I honestly do like her. But by Honor, why?_

He knew very much why. And by Vev, the way she kept smiling in the face of darkness...

It was the most beautiful thing he had seen. 

"The festival's starting." Kaladin said quietly, and Shallan looked up, eyes wide. 

"Storms! This sketch takes way too long!" Shallan cursed and Kaladin let out an amused breath. 

"Yes well, I should think sketching the whole of Urithiru would be rather like towing a chull." 

Shallan had a contemplative look on her face. "Apt description. For it is very galling when you tow the chull but the chull simply refuses to move." 

Kaladin laughed. Shallan looked at him in surprise but he missed her face getting dusted with a pink flush. 

* * *

"Mau, are you serious?!" Tien shrieked, feeling his heart rate pulsate quickly. 

"I don't think your spren can describe knives wrongly now, can she? Mau, can you tell us anything the man might have done? Apart from the obvious?" Adolin asked in worry, steadying the boat. 

"Well, he did have a distinguishing mark on his neck...Three diamonds overlapping each other...It was very much symmetrical!" Mau buzzed cheerfully, swirling around. 

"Does this have to happen now? Oh, storms- what are we to do?" Tien asked, pale. 

Adolin clapped his hand on Tien, shaking his head. "Don't panic. I'll row the boat to the shore, you put an illusion on me and I'll do a little scouting. Come on, Tien." He said, gently. 

Tien nodded shakily, as Adolin gathered his oars and started rowing grimly, and he looked towards where his brother and the girl were laughing. 

"Oh, storms, why does this have to happen every time my brother is even slightly happy?" Tien moaned, head in hands. 

"Hey, hey, calm down. We don't even know half of what's going on. And I intend to find it out, Tien, okay?" Adolin reassured him, stopping the rowing and patting his friend's back. 

"Oh, okay, then. Fine. Fine. But please don't come back with blood." Tien said, shuddering. 

Adolin smiled humorlessly. "Oh, I intend to leave all the blood right on the spot where the bastard is standing if it turns out he's got it for my best friend."

Tien paled even further, but then nodded quickly, deciding that Adolin killing the man would be much better than Adolin getting killed.   


"All right, so here goes nothing." Tien muttered, Lightweaving Adolin into a fairly younger looking rogue, with black hair and a burn scar on his cheek. 

More the scars, easier the intimidation. But Tien made sure not to make Adolin ugly- because firstly it was impossible and secondly, Adolin would not be very pleased, to say the least. 

"You didn't make me ugly, right?"

Tien chuckled shakily. "Yeah, well, that's kinda impossible. Try not to get hurt!" 

Adolin gave him a thumbs up gesture, before jumping off the boat and running off. 

"Honor's winds...let's hope this doesn't end too badly." Tien whispered. 

* * *

Shallan felt her heart beating too quickly, as the spheres started glowing. 

How was it possible for a man to be beautiful as Kaladin was, at that moment? 

His smile was positively radiant and had a boyish charm to it, that had never appeared in the whole day that she had met him, and a charm that did not fail to draw her in. His warm brown eyes shone with a gentler passion that did not fail to make her heart flutter. It was something that made her feel so warm and something that made her shiver, all at once. The man looked far too storming good with a ponytail for his own good, and how was he such a beautiful person, inside and out? 

Kaladin took out a sphere and placed it on his end of the boat, lying back slightly to look at the starspren and joyspren fluttering across the sky. 

Shallan smiled to see him so obviously at ease, and the thought made her warm, because he was at ease here, with her, and oh, wasn't that thought so much sweeter?

"It's beautiful." Shallan whispered, and Kaladin's eyes were on her, in a way that made her shiver again, because the way he looked...

He looked at her as if she was the only thing in the world that deserved to be treasured, the only thing in the whole cosmere that deserved to be watched in awe. 

"Yes. It is." Kaladin whispered, his own voice fragile. 

"This light...it just makes the sky completely new." Shallan said, not knowing if she was making any sense. 

But then, she thought with a growing smile as Kaladin nodded, hadn't he always talked to her, whether or not her words were making any sense?

"I know." Kaladin said softly, his eyes never having left her. 

Shallan shook her head, and wondered if she should go closer. 

_Why? Because...I want to be near him._

Shallan didn't know what to feel- she was in her own romantic novel, at long last after several daydreams, with a man whose passion was so intense it could only be barely controlled, and she wanted more. 

"Stormbirth is like a day for new beginnings, you know?" Kaladin asked, smiling as he looked up at the sky. 

Shallan smiled back. How could one person's smile be so beautiful? "I think I'm starting to make my own, now." She said, looking up at the starspren. 

She missed Kaladin looking at her, but she could feel it all the same, and her spine felt chilled but with anticipation. At this point, Shallan was surprised there wasn't an anticipationspren lurking around. 

"Me too." He said, getting up. 

"Really?" Shallan asked, surprised and not having expected his answer.

Kaladin's smile lit up his whole face and it was like a sphere, full of dynamic Stormlight swirling around. 

"Yeah." 

When did he get so close? Was he that close? Truly?

Shallan already knew anyway- he had been coming closer and closer, slowly, ready to stop should she have wanted, and she had just let him come closer. 

And then she closed her eyes, the image of the light of the passionspren glowing pale in comparison to Kaladin's smile burned into her memory with a pleasant singe, as she closed the distance between them, cupping his cheek. 

* * *

"Hello."

Today was not Kasbal's day, he thought in annoyance as he turned around only to find a strange looking, yet definitely rough-seeming rogue. 

And then it was all black as a fist connected with his face.   


Now Adolin wasn't as sly or intimidating as his cousin, but he certainly learned a few tricks from her after having become an Edgedancer. 

"Jasnah really knows her hideouts, huh?" Adolin asked to himself, looking around the fairly modest room. It wasn't terribly gaudy, but surely the yellow could use some balancing- it was practically a hideous shade of turmeric yellow at this point. And the lights could have been positioned a little bit better in the center of the walls. 

He shrugged. He wasn't an interior room decorator and Jasnah would not look kindly upon him if he were judging the room. 

The man woke up, and Adolin clapped his hands once, rubbing his hand over his own face. 

The man gaped. "Adolin Kholin?"

Adolin smiled. "My reputation precedes me, I suppose."

"That was Lightweaving." The man said, narrowing his eyes. 

Adolin shrugged gracefully. "Well, I do have allies. Just as you do, I presume."

The man glared at him. "Why did you tie me up?"

"Why are you following Kaladin Tanavast? With knives, no less?" Adolin asked, voice cold. 

The man smiled slightly, a little too smugly for Adolin's tastes perhaps. "Well, nothing gets past you, Lord Kholin, does it?"

"It doesn't. And I won't let it, either. Now, you have two options." Adolin leaned in close, narrowing his eyes. 

"And let me tell you something- you're going to die. Either way. Whether you choose to tell me or not, I will kill you. I'm not leaving here without your corpse. But I can and will choose to leave without the info."

The man chuckled. "Redundant, isn't it?"

Adolin smirked, and it clearly unnerved the man-he now turned away, eyes confused.

"I wouldn't say it is. You see, the way you die is up to you, my friend. You can choose to die quickly by telling me what I need to know. One strike of a Shardblade and it's over for you in a second. Or you can test my patience by being stubborn and loyal to whomever is paying you by keeping your mouth shut and I will end up making sure you suffer terribly in your last moments. Either way, you will get killed. How's that for redundant?" Adolin asked, hand on the armrest, noticing the man fidget. 

"Fine. Let's go with the second option anyway. Because I'd rather die than tell you what's going on." The man hissed, though his hands were now shaking. 

Adolin shrugged, before quickly grasping the man's throat and choking him. "Good for you, then. Someone must be paying you really well for your information." 

The man wheezed for breath as Adolin choked him further and further. 

"Fine! Fine! Let me go! I'll, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Adolin asked, voice hard. 

"I'll-I'll tell you!" The man coughed out weakly, and Adolin quickly let go of him. 

"That wasn't so hard. It only took you the edge of death to get a lick of sense." Adolin said, his voice fairly taunting. 

The man glared at him, taking rapid breaths. When he finally caught his breath, he spoke in a harsh, ragged voice. 

"We're trying to retrieve Shallan Davar from him." The man said, breathing as he spoke. 

Adolin raised an eyebrow. "The girl? And a Davar? This is starting to smell of crem rather quickly. Tell me everything you know about Shallan Davar."

The man took another long inhale before speaking. "Shallan Davar became a Surgebinder at the age of ten,"

Adolin blinked. To get a Nahel bond at such a young age? Like Renarin and Tien?

Storms. 

"And her father loaned a Soulcaster from us. It was eventually broken in a drunken duel so we got her as repayment for their debt. Actually, they seemed eager to give the girl away. We used a device from the Scadrian kingdom to erase her memory." The man said, glaring venomously at Adolin. 

"Who is 'we'?" 

The man shook his head. "That's not something I'll tell you."

Adolin narrowed his eyes. "Listen, I know the symbol of this particular organisation. And I guarantee you, it won't take long for me to find out. Better you tell me than get other people involved." 

The man grit his jaw, and then swallowed. "The Ghostbloods." 

Adolin raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you the people collecting Shards from Odium until he got killed?"

The man exhaled. "Yes."

"What's your deal this time?"

The man shook his head. "I do not know."

"Really?"

"What do you want me to say to you?"

Adolin let the information sink in, wincing as he stepped back.

Several things hit him at once; the Davar house had received their wealth due to a Soulcaster from a morally questionable organization, gave up their own daughter to repay their debt, the Ghostbloods were working in the shadows once more and....Kaladin got caught up in it. Because he had to be blessed by Lady Vedeledev at this moment. 

Cultivation's thorns.

"What's special about Shallan Davar? You could just as easily get a Soulcasting fabrial." Adolin said, tilting his head and folding his arms. 

The man gulped. "Oh storms-"

Adolin snorted. "Your leader isn't the one you have to worry about. It's me. Go on. Tell me." 

The man sighed. "Her spren was corrupted."

Adolin widened his eyes. 

Corrupted spren usually meant one thing- these were the spren that had lived a long time ago, long before the unification of Roshar, back in the shadowdays. Which had been corrupted by Sja-anat. 

Who was now gone, which is fine with Adolin- but corrupted spren was a topic of taboo among Radiants. 

_Renarin..._

Adolin didn't know the specifics, but corrupted spren were forced to break their bond with their Radiants and were thus ostracized in Shadesmar. 

Storms. 

"So she doesn't have to speak Ideals. Her Surges will just grow on their own. Oh, this is just _great._ " Adolin said, with awful sarcasm.

The man swallowed. 

Adolin blinked, before sighing. 

No one said murder was very pleasant after all.   


"What are we going to do?!" Tien screeched back at the boat, in a low voice, as Adolin finished telling everything. 

"Anyone suspicious come over?" Adolin asked, biting on his lip, ignoring Tien's question as he himself didn't have an answer. 

_Think. What can I do?_

Tien nodded, worried. "No. Though my brother finally made a move and ended up kissing her." 

Adolin would have banged his head had he a proper surface for it. "The one time he finds someone to smile around, it turns out to be a girl whose history is entirely too complicated. Storms. We need to get him away from her!"

Tien turned pale. "Isn't there any other way?"

"Absolutely not." Adolin said, his voice colder than the air around them. 

Tien held his head in his hands. "By Roshar, what are we supposed to do?" 

Adolin snapped his fingers. "All right. Tien, I got it. Go to Jasnah. Tell her what's going on-"

"I don't know where she'll be!"

"In the City Library, kid. Tell her what's going on. Follow her from there. I'll try to make sure your brother doesn't get himself killed." Adolin said, knowing Tien wouldn't be able to stand blood, should push come to shove. 

Tien paled, but nodded as Adolin rowed them to the harbor. 

* * *

Shallan pulled back for breath, fingers hesitantly on Kaladin's cheek as passionspren flickered around everywhere. 

"Oh, wow." She whispered.

"Yeah. That just...that just happened." Kaladin whispered back, blinking as if dazed. 

"Was that...was that your first kiss?" Shallan blurted out, before realizing what she asked was terribly stupid. 

_Stupid, as if this amazing man hadn't ever gotten kissed._

Kaladin blinked before grinning. "The first I enjoyed anyway." He said, resting his forehead against hers. 

Shallan felt warm. "Really?" 

The sincerity in his eyes warmed her even more- oh how was he even real? She could read, understand every single emotion he was feeling and it just made her being even more suffused with joy. 

He didn't hide a thing from her, and she could go on and on and on...

"Yeah. You look like you're thinking about something really deeply." 

Shallan grinned. "I'm thinking about you."

"Really?"

"Well...it's kind of difficult to think about anything else when you're here." Shallan confessed, blushing furiously. 

Kaladin smirked. "Is that so?" 

What a smug, arrogant arse- who happened to make said smugness and arrogance look really, really...arousing. 

Shallan blushed even more and swatted his arm. 

Storms, if her father caught wind of what exactly she was thinking about this man-

Shallan blinked, freezing. 

Her father....She had completely forgotten about him. 

That was the trouble with having a good time...you could completely get swept away with it and forget everything, forget yourself. 

And this man...she could only see him for now. 

_For this night._

_But I want to see him. Even if it's only been a whole day, I want to see him._

_Can't I see him again?_

Kaladin laughed quietly, and that sound brought her out of her worries for just a fleeting second, Shallan wishing she could be stuck in this moment forever. 

Her father loved her yes...but his anger, calm and unruffled, was worrying and she did not want to come by it. 

"Anything else you want to show me?" Shallan asked, hoping her voice came out as teasing. 

Kaladin blinked, before blushing. "Well...not really, no. I'm kind of unremarkable as men come. Don't let the Radiant thing fool you." 

Shallan snorted. "Oh, I'm having none of that, Stormblessed. I want you to show me one last thing. Anything." 

Kaladin sighed theatrically, and the gesture made her smile, despite the lurch her stomach was undergoing right now. 

"Sure. I think I know a place you'll like. And then..." his own smile wavered and Shallan cupped both of his cheeks. 

"And then you sneak in visits to me, Kaladin. And then I try convincing my father I can survive in the world. And then this, whatever it is, will stay, As long as it is meant to be, Kaladin Stormblessed." Shallan said, seriously. 

_It's a lie._

_But it's a good one. And that's okay._

_Lying to give someone hope, that was okay._

_Right?_

Kaladin widened his eyes, warm and beautiful, blinking. "Seriously?"

Shallan rested her forehead against his, this time. "I wasn't joking when I said I wanted a new beginning." 

"Are you sure?"

"No, but that's the best part. I mean, it wouldn't be any fun when you're just lying around in wait for something to happen. That's not how we met." Shallan said, shaking her head in the end. 

Kaladin inhaled and exhaled, before finally nodding. "I believe you."

"So, got anything in mind?"

"Well....there should be a nature observatory, considering how fascinated you are with rockbuds of all the things..."

Shallan only giggled, letting the thought of spending more time with him and Kaladin's voice soothe her.

* * *

Kaladin had left Shallan alone in the garden, for he wasn't really sure that she would appreciate being disturbed as she cooed and fawned over natural specimens. 

It had turned out to be the biggest mistake he had made, for someone slammed him to the wall, hand against chest.

Kaladin grunted out with a wheeze and instinctively held his hand out ready to summon Syl but then a very familiar voice hissed. "Shut up, Kal, it's only me." 

He blinked, only to look down into the urgent eyes of one Adolin Kholin. 

" _Adolin_?" Kaladin asked, surprised. 

"Quiet. I don't want that girl overhearing us. Now, listen to what I have to say. I'm afraid none of it is good." Adolin said, relinquishing his hold on Kaladin before sighing. 

Kaladin blinked again. "Wait, the girl? Shallan, you mean?"

Adolin nodded, face grim and somewhat intimidating under the dark lighting. 

Kaladin swallowed. It wasn't easy to frighten or provoke Adolin.

Something was clearly wrong. 

"I assume she's told you about her father?" Adolin asked in a low voice, narrowing his eyes at the taller. 

Kaladin felt confusion all over, he wasn't getting head or tail of this. "Adolin, what's going on? How do you know Shallan and her father-"

"Because I chanced upon an assassin who wants your head, Kaladin. He told me the whole story about her. Kaladin, I'm not one to discourage you from pursuing a courtship, but believe me, this is something that _will_ get you killed." Adolin said grimly, gritting his jaw. 

Kaladin widened his eyes. 

Another man? Another assassin?

"There is an entire organization of people who once changed the planet called the Ghostbloods. Now they want her because her spren is corrupted and I'm afraid they were not very happy about you taking her away." Adolin explained. 

"Storms. But...we can't just leave her, we have to help her-"

"I'm not asking you to leave her, storms. Will you just listen?"

That's when things went from bad to worse, because that's when they heard a male voice speaking to Shallan. 

Both of them looked at Shallan, who was screaming incoherently and shaking her head as the man in question, tried talking to her reassuringly.

"And he's probably going to make sure she doesn't remember you." Adolin asked, shaking his head. 

"Storms, can't you see it? If what you said is true, it's the _Ghostbloods_ that are enslaving her!"

Adolin held Kaladin's shoulders roughly, shaking them. "Shut up and listen to me! I'm not blaming Shallan Davar! I'm blaming the Ghostbloods, and I'm telling you, stay away from her until we've resolved this mess!"

"I-"

"Do you understand?!" Adolin growled, shaking Kaladin even more roughly. 

Kaladin gulped- he hadn't seen Adolin angry in such a long while.

"You know they'll kill her." Kaladin said, finally. 

Adolin shook his own head, releasing Kaladin. 

He knew what his friend was talking about. 

"They didn't kill Renarin." Adolin only said wearily. 

"That's because Jasnah petitioned Grandfather not to. Who's there to help Shallan? Jasnah is not likely to put her neck out for someone she doesn't know." 

Adolin sighed. "You think Jasnah doesn't care about anything. That's not true. Kaladin, do you trust me?"

Kaladin gave him a stiff nod. 

"Then come. We'll go to your grandfather. It's gonna be okay." Adolin said gently, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder. 

Unfortunately, it seemed that the cosmere was unwilling to let them believe that for even a second, because the contents of Shallan's conversation became audible at that precise moment and none of it was good. 

_"You are corrupted in their eyes, dear. They will only kill you."_

_"Kaladin wouldn't let me get killed, Father! You don't know him!"_

_"And who is to say he hasn't left you alone now so he could just tell Lord Honor and have you disposed?"_

_"That's not true....That can't be true..."_

_"Shallan, do you remember who was it that saved you? By locking you away from the world?"_

_"I..."_

_"Shallan, tell me you're not thinking of leaving your poor father?"_

_"But Father, that's not true...I would never leave you."_

_"How long have you known him?_

_"For a day...Father, you don't know him-"_

_"And do you? Do you know what he's done?"_

_"No, but that doesn't mean you do either!"_

_"I know what he is. Don't you see? Because you're convinced in believing someone else over your father, we're now having a silly dispute. How many times have we had a silly dispute like this?"_

_"This isn't a silly dispute, this is about me being locked away from the world-"_

_"A world that will kill you upon seeing your perceived imperfection! This is why I did not tell you about Radiants and your abilities! Because when you're faced with the truth, it will only hurt you. Tell me, are you not hurt now? Can you honestly tell me that you were not scared living out in this world?"_

_"Father-"_

_"Believe me. Your friend will not come back to the tower to see you. He has just found you terribly distasteful upon seeing what you can do, he has become scared of what you can do-"_

It was all Adolin could do to restrain Kaladin. 

_"-and he thought of running away as soon as he could. That is what the people of this world are like, dear. They will deceive you. They will not see you for who you are, unlike I."_

There was silence, save for Kaladin's enraged growls that Adolin quickly remedied by slapping his hand over the other's mouth. 

Adolin grunted out in exertion, quickly willing the friction between his arms and his friend's body to increase so that Kaladin couldn't slip away. 

_"Now, Shallan. Will you steady your father's heart and come back with me? I was so worried. My poor daughter."_

_"I....yes, Father. I will."_

_"My sweet, sweet daughter. How you worried your father so..."_

Adolin winced when he heard Shallan quietly sobbing.

"I'm thinking, we're going to have go quickly." Adolin said, wincing again.

Kaladin chose this moment to struggle violently, and Adolin sighed, before reaching into his pocket with a free finger, absorbed Stormlight from a free sphere, and tapped out a seed with it, causing a vine to grow and tie up Kaladin. 

"Stay here. And wait. If all goes well, hopefully your brother will have informed my cousin-" 

Adolin groaned as Kaladin cut up the vine with Syl and Lashed himself away. 

"For what it's worth, thanks for the heads up! But I'm sorry, Adolin!" Kaladin shouted apologetically, before Lashing himself to the sky and far beyond. 

Adolin stared before smacking his own forehead. 

"Windrunners! The only thing worse than a Windrunner is a Windrunner in love!" Adolin screeched in exasperation, crouching down slightly and making himself Slick, heading for the palace. 

What a storming mess, Adolin thought in annoyance. 

* * *

Shallan didn't know how it hadn't hit her the whole time she was riding a horse on the way to the tower, or during her father's reprimand.   


"Lies...Lies, Shallan....the Windrunner cares for you." Pattern whispered softly, and Shallan put her hand over the supposedly corrupted spren now on her dress. 

"I know. I know that much." Shallan said, swallowing. 

She knew. She knew what now oppression felt like. 

This. Sitting in her room, forced not to go out, forced not to have her opinion, forced to thrust her fate into the hands of someone else....

"Are you all right?"

It was telling, Shallan thought with a dry smile, how much difference there was between a person she met and a man she had known for over a decade. 

"Shallan, child, would you like your favorite?" 

Shallan breathed in, unsure of her own thoughts. Storms. 

"Of...course, Father." Shallan called out, knowing that she was going to get her food into her stomach regardless of whether or not she wanted to. 

_I'm going to be inside this tower regardless of whether or not I want to be here,_ Shallan realized, and she gulped. 

_I can't leave. Oh, not because my father loves me. But I don't know why he wants me here._

Shallan exhaled. "Pattern?"

Pattern floated out, buzzing in worry. "Yes?"

"Was Kaladin on to something? Could I be in fact, have been a Radiant this whole time?" Shallan asked, inhaling. 

Pattern drooped. "Shallan...you do not require Investiture-"

"I'm assuming that means Stormlight." 

"Yes....but I am not myself, Shallan. I am not whole. I was frightened. Frightened of when you would realize the truth. It is the reason I do not converse with you." 

Shallan blinked. "The truth, Pattern? That...I'm corrupted?"

"Not you. Me."

Shallan blinked again. What Pattern was saying hardly made any sense. 

"Either way, Pattern, that wouldn't matter to me." Shallan said softly. 

Pattern buzzed softly. "Truly?"

"No. Whatever you are, I only wished you'd talked to me more."

Pattern drooped for the second time. "Shallan...I am sorry."

"That's okay, Pattern. You can tell me what you need to."

"Shallan, I am a Cryptic. But corrupted. Corrupted by a touch from long ago...and hence, I am not correct. I am an anomaly." 

Shallan pursed her lips. "Corrupted how?"

"You would not need Ideals, truths to harness your Surges of power. It is in fact, the most frightening anomaly of all." Pattern said, buzzing in worry again. 

"Ideals....."

Shallan gasped. "Storms! That means...I am virtually uncontrollable and free in doing what I want to do. Not that it's bad-"

Pattern zoomed into her face. "It would mean danger, Shallan. You would not be able to control what you become." 

"And what will I become? Something worse than a girl held captive?" Shallan asked, in desperation.

Pattern drooped again. "But, Shallan, does it not worry you?"

"It does, Pattern, but at any rate...don't you want to be free again? Do you honestly think me living here would make us any less corrupted?" Shallan asked, shaking her head. 

"You are convinced that there is a way to right this?"

"Not yet. But I'm convinced sitting around isn't the way to do this. No. I'm getting out of here, storms take what he says." 

But how?

Shallan breathed in, shaking her head and running out of the room, as silently as possible and praying to Honor she wasn't going to get caught.

"Shallan?" Pattern asked, worried. 

"There has to be a reason. A logical conclusion for everything. The truth. You can't hide it forever." Shallan whispered, running downstairs into the cellar. 

A forbidden room. 

Shallan shuddered at entering it. 

It was dark, but well maintained and Shallan grit her jaw, moving inside. 

"Shallan? What are you doing here, child?" Mraize asked sharply, and Shallan jumped at his voice, heart pounding loudly as she turned back to face him. 

"F-Father-"

Mraize's eyes turned dark. "You have grown disobedient as well as foolish. I suppose it has come to this, then."

Shallan blinked, the words striking a chord. 

"The punishment for disobedience is rather high, child. You will learn that, shortly." 

He grabbed her, and dragged her to her room as she only let him, shocked and disoriented.   


The sight that greeted her eyes filled her with horror and caused her stomach to lurch. 

Kaladin. 

"Kaladin!" Shallan screamed out, even though...even though he was clearly roughened up and...tied to a chair. 

"You, you idiot, you idiot, why did, why did you come back?!" Shallan screeched, tears boiling up and falling down, Mraize's hold still cold and tight. 

Kaladin only shook his head, eyes intense and passionate, unmovable. 

And they closed. 

"Father, father, please, _please_ don't kill him-" 

"Disobedience has a far too high cost. And the casting away of loyalty, even more so." Mraize said calmly. 

_"Disobedience will get you nowhere."_

_"I suppose it has come to this, then."_ An unfamiliar female voice struck through her mind harshly, saying all those things, and Shallan touched her head in shock, eyes wide. 

Mraize narrowed his eyes. "Shallan?"

Shallan blinked as Pattern buzzed. 

"Lies, your entire life is a lie, Shallan Davar." Pattern whispered, forlornly, voice so low that only Shallan could hear it. 

"D-Davar?"

Mraize widened his eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Davar? Pattern, what are you talking about? I'm Shallan Tenadar-"

_Right?_

Pattern floated out, and Mraize and Shallan stared at the furiously spinning spren, stunned. 

"You have lived a lie, Shallan Davar. You are not who you think you are, and your father is not who he is. He _lies_..." Pattern said, voice severe. 

"I thought we had agreed to a deal, spren." Mraize said, coldly. 

Kaladin, unbeknownst to the others, had now opened his eyes, though exhaustionspren were creeping upon him. 

Shallan grit her jaw, swallowing. "You knew he was a spren? What else did you know?" She asked, voice raspy. 

Mraize only sighed. "It does not matter, child. For you will know. Sooner or later." 

"What have you been lying to me for so long about?! Tell me!" Shallan screamed, tears boiling her eyes out of their own volition. 

"Everything. And nothing at all. For this lie this spren accuses me of is much sweeter than the life others would have you lead." Mraize said, dragging Shallan away. 

Shallan wrenched her hand free. "Let go of me! You're, you're...you're not even my father, are you?" She screamed out in horror, the truth hitting her. 

Mraize did not say anything but grabbed back her hand violently, with an acerbic force. "Quiet." He said, without a hint of anger in his face, but his voice was dark. 

"Let go!" Shallan cried out, struggling vehemently. 

"Cease making a nuisance of yourself, little knife. You will do what is told of you." 

"You've lied to me for my whole life, and I'm supposed to _obey_ you?" Shallan growled, glaring at Mraize through tears. 

"I have sheltered you from people who wanted you dead, I have raised you as my own, and now you disobey me because of a foolish notion of romance?" Mraize asked coolly, still not moving an inch though Shallan was struggling so much. 

And it infuriated her to the core. 

"Not for love. The truth. Enough. Enough of lies." Shallan grit out, in a voice so cold and so unlike herself. 

Ice. Ice was what seeped through her veins, she thought blindly as raised her free hand and placed it on top of the hand Mraize used to hold her own. 

"Farewell." Shallan whispered quietly, as Mraize widened his eyes. 

And there was only ice, where he stood.

The ice froze the hand it had been holding to and Shallan only stared at it in shock. 

_Had she just...had she just turned the man who had raised her into ice?_

She then stared at Kaladin who was staring at the block of ice in shock. 

Shallan felt nauseous, and her legs were shaking. 

_Oh no, oh no, what is he going to think?_

Kaladin only blinked before shrugging. "Adolin was about to murder him anyway." He said flippantly, as if Shallan hadn't just proven that lack of control was dangerous, as if he hadn't just witnessed a man being turned into ice...

"Wait, the guy who changed your diapers?" Shallan only said, numb. 

Kaladin grinned. "I'm going to tell him you said that, by the way. Mind going through a repeat?" He asked, raising his tied up legs as much as he could. 

Shallan pointed at the block of ice, disbelieving.

"Kaladin, you saw what I just did." She said, gaping. 

Kaladin gave her an impressive look. "So? I murdered a man in front of you." 

"I turned my father into ice!" 

Kaladin just kept staring. "Shallan, that man has been the cause of trouble for one person too many. I really do not mind. Now would you mind untying me?" 

Shallan breathed out. "You seriously don't mind?" 

"Nope." 

"Truly?" 

"I could swear an oath to it if you want." Kaladin said, with a straight face. 

Shallan just laughed in disbelief. "You...you still...want to be with me?" 

"Yes." Kaladin said, softly. 

"Oh, storms." 

"Incredible. Now would you mind untying me?" 

Shallan blinked, before genuinely laughing and running to him, untying the ropes. 

"Brings back memories, huh?" Shallan asked, grinning. 

“More than I care to admit.” Kaladin said, eyes on her the whole while.

It was nice, to know that there was a guy out there who would most probably not half-heartedly take care of you, Shallan thought with a smile. 

“Well, how did you get tied up like this?” 

“Probably because the block of ice already suspected I would be coming and set up some strange device at the windowsill to immobilize me. Next thing I knew, I was right back where I started. And again, I must thank the gods for allowing me movement.” 

He said all of this in such a deadpan voice that Shallan giggled. 

“Freedom.” Kaladin deadpanned, as Shallan untied the last ropes. 

Shallan nodded, smiling. “True. Freedom.” 

Kaladin, this time, held her hand as he stood up, eyes soft. 

“Want to see what it feels like?” 

“More than anything in the world.” Shallan whispered. 

“Glad to hear that.” 

* * *

_**Two years later:** _

  
“Isn’t tomorrow going to mark a year since the day you married Shallan?” Tien asked curiously, as Kaladin finished requesting the vendor for a pair of boots. 

All had gone well- Jasnah Kholin had approved of Shallan's abilities and of the young woman herself, and now Shallan was the very happy ward of the most famed scholar of Roshar, while also serving in the court. 

Adolin and Shallan, after many misgivings, had now banded up in making Kaladin's life a misery. Though, he was strangely fine with it. 

“Yes.” Kaladin said dryly, receiving a neatly wrapped package. 

“And you’re giving her _boots_?” Tien asked, gawking at the package. 

“She'll probably laugh.” Kaladin said, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. 

“You turned into such a doofus since you met her, it's _amazing_. I guess women are really powerful. That or maybe it’s just Shallan.” 

“Ha ha. Now stop bugging me. I need to go or I'll probably get screamed at for being late for lunch.” 

Not that Kaladin minded. He was just happy to get to home. To Shallan.

**Author's Note:**

> This was so daunting to write. It's always difficult writing from Kaladin's POV, but I did prefer this to paying attention to online classes- WHOOPS, that's a bad, but I always attempt to pick up my studies whether I like it or not, so if anyone's concerned about that, thanks, LOL. Anyhow, writing this was fun, frustrating, and sometimes exciting- much like a conversation between myself and Shallan, LMAO. 
> 
> So. Thoughts and remarks? I'd really love it! ^^


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